More Vietnamese are using their mobile devices for travel purchases, presenting a growth opportunity for online travel agents (Photo: Hostelworld) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - While only 7 percent of online travel sales in Vietnamwere made on mobile devices last year, the number grew rapidly at a 58.1 percentcompound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the 2013-16 period, presenting a majorgrowth opportunity, according to a Euromonitor International study.
Euromonitor, a provider of strategic marketresearch, surveyed a sample of 150 Vietnamese to analyse the online travellandscape as well as browsing and purchase behaviours. Commissioned byperformance marketing firm Criteo, the survey was conducted to help travelbusinesses and online travel agents identify and adopt digital strategies thatwill attract customers.
“Travel expenditures in Vietnam will riserapidly due to increasing disposable incomes and growing middle-classaffluence," said Alban Villani, general manager of Criteo Southeast Asia,Hong Kong and Taiwan. "Vietnam is a mobile-first society, and for 2017,the number of smart phone users in the country is expected to reach 28.5million, and 37.8 million by 2020."
Last year, Vietnamese took 6.9 millioninternational trips and 52.8 million domestic trips, while expenditures onleisure and recreation from now to 2020 are expected to grow at a 7.7 percentCAGR.
In the 2011-16 period, online travel salesgrew at an 18.3 percent CAGR and totalled over 27 million USD in earnings in2016. Mobile travel sales, which outpaced the growth of online travel sales,are expected to see a 22.4 percent CAGR from now to 2020.
Villani said that travel websites andonline travel agents should focus on providing a user-friendly mobile experiencethat is easy to navigate with add-on features and secure payment methods.
To drive transactions, they need to engagewith shoppers during the discovery, search and booking phases, and re-engagethem across all devices after they leave websites, he added.-VNA
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